Google Smart Goggles 'To Be Launched By 2013'

Who doesn't remember the cool glasses the terminator wore and how they processed information as he scanned the bar. Google has decide to make those glasses a reality. By next year they plan to release $250 -$600 "Smart Googles", which will allow the user to experience augmented reality through the android-based glasses. Expect to "see" a number of Google's applications bundled with the glasses. The rumor mill has the high tech glasses sporting a  3G or 4G data connection,  motion/ GPS sensors, and a camera.

See more at Buzz60: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La5oENGGODg&feature=player_embedded

RIM Releases PlayBook 2.0 OS, But Who Cares

Once tagged as an iPad Killer, the Playbook 2.0 appears to be on death-row. For existing owners a temporary stay of execution has been granted with the release of PlayBook OS 2.0. For Playbook owners there hasn't been much to cheer about  and now they do. Depending on which survey you read the iPad is stilling leading the way in the tablet category, closely followed by Android tablets.   Download the release now

iPad 3: 7" or 8"? Which would you Prefer?

I'll admit that I have been waiting for the iPad 3 to arrive, because I absolutely intend to purchase one. But the latest round of rumors have Apple unveiling an "iPad Mini", which will be smaller and lighter than the current 10" model (actually 9.7").  The theory behind this rumor is that Apple will aim to capitalize on the success of other tablet manufacturers - namely Amazon's Kindle Fire and B&N's Nook. It would be a surprise to me to see a smaller model, since it would cause a number of issues for app developers with the addition of another size, particularly those on the media side.
Although, I am still in favor of a smaller iPad and maybe they will name it "Mini".

Does Apple Own the iPad Name?

According to the folks at ProView Technology the answer is NO! ProView Technology claims to have "legally" trademarked the iPad name  in China and in other countries. Once near bankruptcy, ProView's new revenue strategy appears to be taking legal action against Apple for copyright infringement for $1.5 Billion, according to Caixin Online.
 Some reports out of China claim that authorities in some Chinese cities have ordered retailers to stop selling Apple's iPad due to the trademark dispute.

USAF eying 18,000 iPad 2 tablets to help pilots

The United States Air Force is looking to reduce the 40+ lbs of manuals and charts its pilots have to carry along on flight missions by using tablets.  In December of 2011, the FAA gave approval for use of the iPad in the cockpit. An interest Green note, by eliminating the weight of the pilots manuals would result in millions of dollars in fuel savings. The Air Force is expected to purchase 18,000 tablets - which will likely be iPad's and would be the largest purchase of tablets by the U.S. military.

iPad 3 Rumored Release Date - this Month?

Well let's add to the list of rumors flooding the arrival of the iPad 3. The Apple faithful are hoping for a release by the end of this month. Which may not happen.
Other rumors:
1- [The] new iPad will be touting..a true iPad Retina Display, clocking in at 2048 x 1536..but the slate will be about one millimeter thicker [and] will include a significantly more powerful GPU.
2- [The] iPad 3 will be a millimeter or two thicker..but the latest leaked photo offers no solid evidence
3- The rumored processor is to be the unreleased quad core A6 processor from Apple which has been suggested to be clocked at 1Ghz

Magazine Articles Now Have Trailers

Traditionally, you would expect to see a trailer for an upcoming film, but how about for a magazine article. The folks at Esquire have put their thinking caps on again and created a trailers to promote an article. I love the idea because it goes against the old print norm of protecting the story prior to release at all costs. Sure some stories can't be revealed earlier, but there more that can be and should be promoted before a magazine hits the stands.
Hats off to the crew at Esquire -  people are still talking about their 75th Anniversary Issue cover.

Watch the Trailer Now

Read More: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/now-a-trailer-for-a-magazine-article/
A 44-second trailer will be posted on Esquire.com on Monday, along with a short preview of the article by its author, Chris Jones. Later, a second trailer — with photos of animals and a gunshot sound — and a long excerpt of the article will be published. The goal of both trailers is to compel users to pay for a print copy of the magazine.

Tumblr Becomes the News

The folks at Tumblr have come to the conclusion that all of those blogs been created on its platform can actual be news. So the popular blogging site is hiring writers and editors to comb through all of the FREE user content and promote the best contributions. So far Tumblr has hired Chris Mahoney as editor in chief and Jessica Bennett as executive editor - with more to come.
The idea of leveraging FREE user generated content has become the norm - and look for this trend to continue as media outlets look to increase the amount of content they produce. The real question is --does this produce quality content that consumer are willing to pay for and advertisers are will to spend money on.